The Truth Never Lies
by Tayusuki
Summary: Axel's in the mafia and gets the hots for Marluxia. Unfortunately, an order for him to take Marluxia out has been issued. There also seems to be something going on between the scenes.


Well, heya! This is my first story on here, though I write for myself all of the time. So please be a little nice and suggestions are appreciated!

I know there's a word for it, but I can't remember. I'll edit when I find out - but there's no seme/uke ^^

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts or... any of it, really. Except for the story.

* * *

Marluxia rolled his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck with earnest before he dared to face the customers. If he was lucky, he could sneak out the back door; but only if he was quick about it. He was pretty sure someone could cover for him…

"Marluxia! Get your good-for-nothing-flower-filled-ass out here!" a shrill female voice screamed through the wall.

_Flower-filled… ass?_

Aerith stifled a laugh and patted his back in sympathy. "Best get out there before you never make it past these walls again," she smiled, walking through the double doors to take her position as hostess. Marluxia grimaced and cringed inside as he grabbed his notebook and pen before walking through the same doors Aerith just went through, the final barrier between peace… and hell. He kept his gaze downcast and wished he could blend in with the shadows in hopes Larxene wouldn't say anything.

"And where the hell were you?" Larxene hissed between clenched teeth and narrowed green eyes. Her stride quickly fell in time with his and she did the creepy thing of breathing down his neck. _If looks could kill…_ He looked sheepish.

"Potty break?" he offered and shrugged, trying not to look guilty. In all reality, he had been avoiding work with any means possible. His aim had been to take over some of his co-workers' work for a while and job-hop until his shift was over. No one really wanted to risk it, but they did find his desperation to be absolutely hilarious. One could only tolerate her for so long and keep their sanity. She frowned before stepping in front of him, effectively stopping him as she leaned closer, gesturing to the sea of people behind her without ever breaking eye contact or leaving his personal space bubble.

"Well, these people have priority over your freakin' bladder. Get to work and get them their food if you want to keep this job." She stormed off and Marluxia looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

"Why me?" He put on a smile he pleaded didn't look completely fake and approached a large, and loud, group of teenagers. It took them a second to realize he was there and they quieted down soon after. "Is there anything I can get for you all?" he asked, pen at the ready.

The boy who was their obvious leader sneered, his arms hanging off the backs of the leather seats. "Who wants anything from some pink-haired fag?" The group burst into laughter except for a brunette girl who looked less than amused. She leaned forward and smacked the boy upside the head.

"Seifer! You wanna eat, don't you? Keep it up and you'll get us kicked out." The beanie guy named Seifer stared at her a moment before glaring at him as if challenging him.

"I'd like to see him try. He won't be doing much after I file a complaint and have him fired." The girl faced him again and hit him hard until she smiled in satisfaction from his wince and cry of 'ow'.

"Sorry 'bout them," she offered an apologetic smile, "I'll just order." She rolled her eyes as a gesture to her friends. He nodded and scribbled as she listed everything they wanted.

* * *

Axel walked into the air conditioning and was grateful for its invention. The beads of perspiration that had begun the pour down his face slowed, cooling his core temperature even more. A girl he knew well greeted him.

"Hey there, Axel. Ready to be seated?" Aerith grinned. He was glad for a familiar face and shifted the papers he held under one arm, nodding and following her to a booth against one of the non-windowed walls. She gave him a quick nod before returning to tend to the constant flow of incoming people. The leather red- and beige-striped seats were familiar as well as the overhead ceiling fans, though he never understood why there were both the fans and the air conditioning. Booths lined all walls and were scattered around whatever space there was in the rest of the room, creating a maze for the waiters and waitresses to weave through. The atmosphere was calm, as always, even if it was loud.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, dreading the work ahead of him. He peeked at the table in hopes that his class' essays would magically vanish or get stolen if he wasn't looking. He groaned in dismay when the intimidating pile was still there when he opened his eyes. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard yelling, recognizing the voice immediately. Why couldn't Larxene talk in a normal tone of voice for once? In spite of himself, he found himself laughing at her job. Xemnas would never let her live it down if he knew. Then again, he didn't really have room to talk. A creative writing teacher isn't exactly an expected side job from someone with his profession.

Before it was too late, he pulled out his cellphone to record her hysteria for potential future blackmail. Yeah, it was common for her to have this sort of outburst – but definitely not in _that _outfit. He'd never seen her in an apron and, after this, he probably never would. She tended to work behind the scenes here so something big must have happened to drag her out of her cave. Hell, wearing that, he would too. He paused when he saw a pink-haired man, whose razored hair was pulled back into a ponytail, talking to a group of kids that were in his class. When Axel saw who he was forced to serve, he had instant sympathy for the guy. Though, he had to admit, he looked pretty damned good. Axel found himself staring until the man turned to his direction and raised an eyebrow with a curious expression. He straightened up and looked down at his papers too quickly, knowing he failed at masquerading what he was really doing. At this moment though, he never found his work to be so welcoming. He shook his head and let it rest in his palm as he started on the first essay. It wasn't long until he found his mind wandering back to the man serving the annoying group.

_What's his name? Wonder what his voice sounds like._

He blinked and tried not to think about, well, many things_._ Wow, wouldn't the boss be pissed if he knew? They certainly wouldn't be a very well-suited couple. There would be way too many reasons why not, _way too many_. Didn't he know how to pick em? Wait, why was he even _thinking _the word couple? He hadn't spoken a word to him. Forcing his focus back to his work, Axel murmured in disgust at the quality of the papers. These were _supposed_ to belong to college students, but their writing performance begged to differ. They might as well be sixth graders. He felt a headache beginning to form beneath his temples and he rubbed them gingerly with closed eyes, hoping it would go away.

_They don't exist, Axel. The stack does _not_ exist._

He opened his eyes.

_Damn. _

He looked up again and saw the perfect distraction standing in front of him. Axel found himself looking into clear blue eyes that stared right back.

_Double damn._

"Can I get you something?" the guy asked, his melodic voice subtly guarded. Couldn't blame him, really. He doubted he wanted to deal with the treatment he received from his previous charges again right now.

"Um, coffee?" the redhead responded. Marluxia marked it and idly wondered how his hair stayed spiked that way. He also noted the amazing contrast his green eyes made with the red shade of his hair. And also about the triangle tattoos beneath his eyes. Or were they makeup? Had to be straight.

_Oh god Marluxia. What the hell are you doing?_

_Mentally checking out a guy, obviously._

_Shut the hell up, stupid voice._

"What did you do to piss of Larxene?" Axel asked. Amusement ran clear across his features. Marluxia blinked, obviously taken aback by the question. How did he know her?

"Um, avoiding work…" he replied and shifted his weight from foot to foot, suddenly very uncomfortable. He couldn't help the curiosity that was quickly building. Was she an old friend from high school or a previous girlfriend? He shook the thought, Larxene? Dating someone? The man stared at him as if expecting an answer.

"Er, what?"

"I asked why you were avoiding work," Axel repeated, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh," he hesitated. "Her, for one, and most of these customers are assholes." His eyes widened at what he let slip and the man sitting before him started laughing. It took him a while to finally compose himself again.

"So, I'm an asshole? Ouch, that's a little harsh." Marluxia's face almost looked panicked.

"No! That's not what I meant…"

"Relax, I'm just messing with you."

"Oh…" his shoulders visibly relaxed. Then Marluxia remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "Cream and sugar?" Axel nodded. "Anything else?" Axel shook his head. Marluxia wondered why he didn't answer verbally as he went to turn the order in, leaning against the counter when he did as he waited for the cup to come.

* * *

Axel rolled up the sleeves of his button up shirt as he glared at the pile again, determined to finish it. If he didn't, he would run behind. Xemnas needed to talk to him – so he probably had a job for him and if he did like he suspected, then he would be up all hours. He groaned and tapped his pen against the table to an imaginary rhythm, trying to get a flow started. It didn't. Axel let his head hit the cool surface of the table and sighed. He knew he made quite the sight, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Not in the least.

Finally deciding he wouldn't get anything done, he packed everything up and grabbed a spare piece of paper to write a note to the waiter. He couldn't help but feel bad for leaving before he got back and all.

_Sorry, something came up. This should cover it, keep the change._

_By the way, props on surviving with Larxene. We should talk sometime when she isn't glaring at your back._

_-Axel_

Axel contemplated adding his cell number, but didn't want passing people to see so he scribbled it and turned the paper over on its blank side, tossing a twenty on top before gathering his belongings he wished weren't his, and headed out the door with a wave to Aerith to the park where there would be no people and he could actually get something done. On his way out, he saw his waiter who he just realized he didn't know the name of at his table, staring at the paper with a lost expression. He couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"It's cold," Axel whispered, his breath coming out in little white puffs. Walking around in confusion for an hour and a half wasn't the ideal way to spend an evening. He rubbed his red nose and shoved his hands deep in his pockets as he scanned the street addresses. Xemnas asked him to help Saix with a job and would meet him there; but, so far, he had yet to see the older man. Axel shook his head in annoyance as he squinted to see the tiny numbers in the dark.

"You're late," came a deep voice from behind. Axel spun and saw the outline of Saix in the shadows.

"Yeah, well, some of us don't know this area well and get lost. Couldn't have been at a better place? Preferably somewhere warm?" he snapped.

"We were given our orders. The guy is here so that's where we go. Ready?" He didn't wait for Axel as he turned and skulked down the dark streets, sticking to the shadows, and slipped into an alley. Axel winced and followed, listening carefully for something abnormal to happen. He and Saix may be working together, but he didn't trust anyone in the Organization.

Axel rounded the same corner and saw his blue-haired partner leaning against the grimy brick wall just outside of the streetlight's glow. He would have missed him if he didn't know his habits. It was creepy, but the man knew how to be discreet.

"When will he show?" Axel asked as he held his frozen fingers to try to warm them with his breathing.

"Didn't get an exact time, he's not consistent."

Axel rolled his eyes. Yeah, they never told him anything, but Saix was usually well-informed so it never mattered. He mimicked Saix's position, careful to remain out of sight of passing bystanders. The hours ticked by slowly and time seemed to crawl as nothing happened. Axel's agitation was quickly building. He had to get up in a few hours and they _still _had yet to see the guy. Even Saix was showing signs of impatience. Soft footsteps came from the right, pulling both men out of their dazed stupor and sending them on full alert. They both took what shelter they could and peeked out to see who was coming. A blonde man with short hair and a cigarette pressed between his lips obliviously walked down the narrow alleyway.

Axel stepped into the open with his hands still in his pockets while Saix did the same on the other side with his arms folded across his chest, blocking all escape routes. A devilish smile found Axel's lips as he kept his face hidden. "Hello, Cid."

Panic was slowly taking over the man, causing him to stumble back as if to run, but instead, he ran into the solid wall that was Saix. Fear took control. He ran at Axel and tried to shove him to the side, but the redhead didn't budge, rather, he remained grounded as he delivered a punch to his jaw with a crack that succeeded in knocking the mechanic on his back and breaking the silent night with his agonized scream. Axel flexed his fingers, testing how must damage he did to himself.

"Going somewhere?" Saix asked with a sinister expression on his face that gave his yellow eyes an eerie glow. Cid managed to lean on his elbows and shakily shook his head no.

"Then what were you trying to do?" Axel asked quietly, crouching beside him. Cid had no real answer.

"P-p-please," he begged. "I was going to pay him back! I swear!"

Axel made a tsk-tsk noise as he wagged his forefinger in front of his face and shook his head in the same no gesture. "No, you were trying to run. Not answering and not returning someone's calls are not paying them back, neither is avoiding them. Gambling on a weekly basis is also not taking care of your debts." He looked up at his partner who was still standing on the other side of Cid. "What do you think, Saix?"

Saix laughed. "Sounds like a problem to me." Axel nodded in agreement.

"Xemnas doesn't like problems. They're an inconvenience. So, we take care of them. Would you like to know how we take care of them?"

Cid whimpered.

"You really don't."

"I'll pay him back! I will! I won't ignore him. I'll even go over there," Cid offered. Axel tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Whadda ya think, Saix? Does he sound sincere?" Saix tilted his head.

"I dunno, I think we need a little insurance – just in case." The enjoyment was plain on his face. Cid looked between the two men in terror.

Axel shrugged and sighed as if it couldn't be helped. "Well, you heard the man." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a set of brass knuckles, sliding them onto his left hand and testing them to be sure they were secure.

"N-no! No no no!" he screamed, trying to scamper back. Saix caught him by the back of his shirt and threw him at Axel's feet. Still, he tried to get away. He turned the same direction and crawled on all fours. Saix kicked him and Axel kneeled, grabbing Cid by his collar. Cid clawed at the dirt, the grit digging underneath his nails and shredding the skin of his fingers with how hard he was fighting. Axel yanked once with plenty of force. Cid nearly fell into him with a yelp and Axel kneeled over him before he started the beating. Cid choked back his sobs. Saix smiled and looked up, his grin vanishing immediately.

"Axel," he called, trying not to be too loud, his eyes trained forward. Axel couldn't hear him over the sound of metal on flesh, the victim's pained grunts, the sound of his body slowly breaking after repeated impacts and loss of blood. "Stop!" Saix yelled.

Axel froze mid-punch. "What?" he asked, keeping his grip firm on his charge.

"Someone saw us."

"What?" he asked again, annoyance drained from his voice and blinking as the gears in his head began turning. Axel looked behind him but whoever was there already left. Saix pulled him to his feet and pried his hands from Cid who immediately doubled over onto his hands and knees to try to catch his breath.

"We need to go," he hissed, pulling Axel close then shoving him away. Axel started down the alley, pausing and facing the bloodied mess of a human being trying to recover while Saix passed them.

"You'll most definitely hear from us again. By then, you best have the money." He then followed the blue-haired man to somewhere safe they could go over the events that just occurred.

* * *

Saix took a seat at an unoccupied booth at a restaurant after they had both cleaned up. The place was empty save for a few regulars. Axel had rewatched the video at the park he had taken earlier and heard Larxene scream Marluxia. Maybe that was the name of the waiter. Well, this was the same place he worked at. He didn't realize at first he was looking amongst the staff for him and stopped himself when he did. He slid himself into the seat opposite Saix and cupped his chin in his palm.

"You sure this is safe?" Axel asked.

"If anything, everyone will think it's a videogame," he supplied. Axel gaped. The usually formal man was actually being careless. Not to mention he was probably right. Saix snapped his fingers in front of the redhead's face to get his attention.

"Pay attention. You obviously didn't see the person that saw us. We also don't know what of all he or she saw, so we don't know if our identities have been compromised." Axel held his hands up as if processing the incoming information.

"Wait, you didn't see who it was? Not even enough to tell _gender?_" Axel clarified in disbelief."The boss won't be happy about this."

"Well, all I could see was an outline. Not to mention the freakin' glare from the streetlight washed them out. Once I noticed them, they ran."

"You kidding me?" Axel slammed his fists on the table, earning a few glances from the few customers. He had to fight to not scream.

"We need to do something."

"No shit, Sherlock," he whispered harshly, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples.

"Any bright ideas?"

"Either way, we're fucked. The only undecided thing is what way we want to go about it."

"How do you figure?" Saix asked. A waitress approached but they waved her away. She frowned and walked away.

"Think about it. If we try covering this up and it falls out, Xemnas is going to kick our ass for keeping it from him and botching the clean up. If we tell him, though, he'll be pissed the failure even occurred and that we didn't try solving it ourselves. We lose either way."

"Well, it wasn't a complete bust. I think we got our message across." Saix tapped his fingers on the table. Axel crossed his forearms on the table and rested his head on them.

"Aren't you fucking optimistic?" Axel groaned. Saix sighed. Axel sat up and pulled out his cellphone, staring at the screen and contemplating his choices. Saix stared at him.

"Your funeral," he commented, staring at the phone too. Axel gave him a 'piss off' stare.

"You're just as much at fault as I am. It'll be yours too." Axel hit the speed dial and leaned back in the chair while the phone rang, silently hoping Xemnas was up and in a good mood. After the fourth ring, there was an answer.

"_Axel, this better be important."_ Axel shifted in his seat and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, well, where to begin. We both succeeded but failed. It went a little… messily."

"_You got my money?"_

"Er, n-"

"_Then what?"_

"He's going to pay, we gave him a taste of what'll happen if he doesn't. The problem is that we think someone saw."

"WHAT?_ Who?"_

"That's the problem… We have no idea who…"There was a sigh on the other line and a long pause.

"_Was it at the confirmed spot?"_

"Yes."

"_I'll send someone in to investigate. I'll get you a name, but this will be your problem I want you to personally take care of."_

"Understood." Axel hung and let out a deep breath.

"So?" Saix asked. Even he was nervous.

"He'll get us the missing info, but I have to take care of him or her. I'd say he was in a damned good mood."

"He must have gotten laid," Saix said with the most serious of faces. Axel failed to stifle a laugh and almost hurled shortly after at the mental image he was rewarded with. He recovered and raised his arms in a stretch.

"Well, thank you for that beautiful comment. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm getting some sleep before I have work here soon. Let me know if you hear anything from Xemnas." Saix nodded and Axel headed for the door.

* * *

The room was silent except for the sound of the computer running. Students sat at desks in rows that were in the formation of a semi-circle, their attention intently focused on their papers. Finals. They sucked. Teachers had a day to grade all of their class' work. As if spending everyday with them wasn't already enough. Axel sighed as he set his glasses on the table and surveyed the room. Axel muttered a curse as his knee ran into the desk when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Wincing, he stood and answered immediately when he say the caller ID.

"Need a minute," he whispered, not waiting for a greeting. He walked to the adjacent room that was unoccupied except for a teacher aide. He covered the speaker of the phone before he spoke. "Namine, can you watch my class a moment?" She nodded and left. He slumped into the nearest student desk and put the phone to his ear. "Whatcha need?"

"_Axel, I have the information you need,"_ Xemnas said. Axel immediately sat up.

"What? Already?"

"_You sound surprised."_ Axel's brow furrowed. He knew the man worked fast, but this was…too fast.

"Not at all. Just wasn't expecting a call so soon."

"_This is a compromising matter. I'm not going to let it wait. You're going to need to meet me to get the information since you'll need a picture. I'll see you in the market district of Hollow Bastion in twenty."_ The line went dead. Axel's stomach churned. Something just wasn't right. He returned the phone to his pocket and walked back to class quickly, gathering his belongings.

"Namine, can you have the principal send in a sub?" Axel asked, already out the door. He threw his jacket into the back of his car and started it, peeling out of the parking lot at an illegal speed and continued to go faster down the road. Axel fidgeted and glanced at his watch every few minutes, running possibilities through his mind. He wouldn't kill him, it's in the middle of the afternoon and the market district is crowded. They could be trying to frame someone – but there would need to be a good reason for that and this is the first time commotion has really stirred. Axel hit his fist against the steering wheel in frustration.

"What the fuck is it, then," he growled. A mass of people plagued the roads as he neared the market district and he thought better of trying to park there. He rounded a corner and stopped his beat up gray car in a deserted parking lot behind some rundown buildings. At least if he needed to run, he didn't have a whole lot of people to dodge. He started walking and scanned the crowd for the one person he was looking for. Across the road and down a few stalls, he saw Xemnas staring at him. Axel shuddered. It was always unnerving. The man was easy to spot though. He always wore a trench coat for some reason, no matter the weather. He had to be crazy for it. It was hot already and there are also large amounts of people pressed together as they fought for the last item or rushed to a new sale. He wove through people and stood before his boss, barely half an inch shorter.

"Right on time," Xemnas stated. Axel stared at the ground and scuffed his shoes on the stone.

"Yeah, well, this seems to be pretty important."

"It is." He reached into his coat and pulled out a manila folder, passing it to the redhead with an unreadable expression. Axel took it and flipped through the pages, stopping immediately when he saw pink hair. To be sure, he read the name.

_Marluxia Ikeda. Shit! It's the waiter._

Axel kept his face like stone as a lump formed in his throat. Why did he have to walk by at that moment?

"Sir, if I may ask, how did you find him so quickly?" Xemnas raised an eyebrow at that.

"Xigbar and Xaldin inspected the area, ran a DNA test, and got the rest from Larxene when the name was on her payroll." He crossed his arms. Axel couldn't take his eyes away from the picture. HE knew better than to further question him.

"Consider it done…" he murmured.


End file.
